Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association Responses from Ward C Candidate Norrice Raymaker GENERAL How do you see the PAD best contributing to Jersey City? I support the original vision of the plan, prior to the changes made to accommodate Toll Brothers. DEVELOPMENT Were you aware that Mayor Healy's administration radically amended the PAD redevelopment plan April, 2008 to accommodate the development goals of national homebuilder Toll Brothers despite overwhelming citizen outcry? Yes. I was present at this meeting and protested. Are you aware the extent of these amendments as listed below? (see original questionnaire for list) I was aware of the height and density changes but not the give-away of the affordable housing units. If you were elected to office what would you do about these amendments? I would support a return to the Oct 2004 plan. I will also recruit new members for the Planning Board. Currently there are four developments that have had final site plan approval since 2005. They have not broken ground despite there's being a major building boom at that time. It is widely supposed that the developers of these sites were waiting to see what Toll brothers" got" in order to then demand the same for themselves (elimination of affordable housing, greater density and height, demolition of warehouses). How will you address these developers? I would ask them to build according to the Oct 2004 plan that the community endorsed. What steps will you take to ensure the Powerhouse is maintained and does not sink into further disrepair than it already has? Will you actively lobby for its development during your administration? If so, what steps will you take to secure the funding and consensus so that it is developed? I believe the restoration of the Powerhouse will be accomplished and is underway. I am a board member of the JC Landmarks Conservancy. I am running to support citizens preservation initiatives. The city needs to work cooperatively with the Landmarks Conservancy, the Embankment Preservation Coalition, the Friends of the Loews, the Friends of LSP, the Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance and the JC Parks Coalition to preserve open space and historic buildings. QUALITY OF LIFE The Powerhouse Arts District currently has no street cleaning services from the city. In addition, there are many unoccupied warehouses and lots with private owners that are currently covered with trash (around the Butler Brothers Building, Manischewitz and Caputo Lots, lots on First Street) and graffiti. Currently we have individual members of our neighborhood organization calling owners to request they clean up; as a group, we organize neighborhood cleanups at least twice a year. Neither of these methods has proved satisfactory in keeping our neighborhood clean. What will you do to rectify these issues? Have the JCIA start street cleaning and issue code violations to the owners of the lots who are not cleaning up. After any heavy rain, the neighborhood is filled with the odors that emanate from the combined storm/sanitary sewer. Although the city constantly claims that there is adequate capacity in the system, it is not clear that this so. An additional problem with the sewers is the existence of hexavalent chromium which was used as fill under the sewer lines along Warren and Bay Streets. What would you do as mayor to address the concerns that the sewer system might not be adequate to support all of the new development, and the further concern that new development in the area will potentially expose, disturb, and spread a dangerous contaminant? I am running for council— not mayor— but Jersey City needs to have a plan and a budget for sewer repairs. We are not good stewards of the tax monies. The give-aways to developers have to stop. We have to stop chasing development for the up-front payments and start living within our means. I personally do not want Jersey City to look like New York or Times Square. I like historic buildings and lower rise buildings. More residents mean more services—for which the abated properties are not paying. I think we need to sustain Jersey City and improve what we have—not knock it down and build high rises. OPEN SPACE The Powerhouse Arts District has virtually no public parkland/open space. Do you support open space initiatives? How would you propose to bring more open space in to this district? YES—YES—YES. I would like to hear the residents' ideas about how to increase open space in the PAD. We have similar issues in the Journal Square Ward C area. Do you support the use of the triangle adjacent to the Powerhouse as a public park? YES The 6th Street Embankment provides an opportunity to retain elements of Jersey City's industrial past, protect existing historic structures, as well as provide much needed green space and additional transportation alternatives in downtown Jersey City. Do you support the retention of the 6th Street Embankment from demolition? Do you support the Embankment's use as a public park? YES. YES. YES. I would like to extend it to the Palisades and the area below the Palisades. TRAFFIC AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION The traffic problem on Marin Boulevard is getting worse and worse. It is very difficult to make a turn onto Marin from the PAD, and crossing the street on foot is almost impossible. New construction slated in our neighborhood will add hundreds if not thousands of new residents with cars, yet the city is saying the traffic level on these streets is not even close to capacity. What will you do to make these streets less crowded and safer? Let's stop building condos. Put in dedicated bike lanes. Put in stop lights. Make the streets pedestrian friendly. Promote the use of Zip cars and Vespa's. Various plans have been proposed to better link downtown to Liberty State Park. Many residents have grave concerns about additional vehicular traffic attempting to bypass the Turnpike by using our residential streets as through streets to the Holland Tunnel. Do you support a pedestrian bridge between downtown to Liberty State Park? Do you support a vehicular bridge between downtown and Liberty State Park? Pedestrian bridge. I favor pedestrians, bicycles and rail over cars. Where possible, and when it has the support of the community, I will work to eliminate or restrict vehicles. The commute via Path train has reached an alarming capacity. During business hour commuting, it is routine to wait while train after train passes, unable to absorb even one more body. Various stations are in need of upgrades. Do you agree that the PATH will be unable to support the additional proposed high rise building that will be added downtown? How do you propose to absorb the additional residents that will be moving in to downtown and commuting via PATH train? Yes, I agree that the PATH is too crowded. I have read that the NJ Transit/Port Authority is extending the platforms and added additional cars to the system. Whenever possible, the government must invest in mass transit. The ferry system should expand. If the ferries were more affordable and easier to get to people would take a ferry to NYC instead of the PATH. What is your position on the JERSEY CITY MOBILITY 2050 project? Do you think it will address its stated goal: "to create an action-oriented plan for a citywide transportation network that will be pedestrian friendly and reduce future traffic congestion?"